If we’d been in Hollywood, The Curious Case Of The Clark Brothers (C4) would have had a happy ending. Eccentric scientist Philip Seymour Hoffman would have come up with a radical breakthrough treatment. But we weren’t in Hollywood, we were in Hull, so there wasn’t.

Christine Clark was understandably angered by the Benjamin Button comparisons that had been slapped on her sons in newspaper stories. Michael and Matthew had led normal lives until well into their thirties, then their behaviour changed – they were becoming more and more disoriented and child-like.

Eventually, they were diagnosed with a rare form of leukodystrophy, a complex condition that effectively short-circuits the nervous system.

‘Benjamim Button, that’s fantasy,’ said Christine. ‘This is real. And they are suffering.’

That word ‘curious’ in the title, misjudged to say the least, won’t have gone down well.

Christine and husband Tony, who’d retired to Spain, had been unaware of what was happening. We followed them as they returned to England and faced the harrowing task of caring for Michael and Matthew as their condition deteriorated.

A scene where the prognosis was outlined to them, a future where their boys would no longer be able to communicate, or move, was tough to watch, the weight of the world crushing down on Christine’s shoulders.

You could question what we, as viewers, can get from stories such as the sad tale of the Clark boys. Rubber-necking misfortune can feel uncomfortably voyeuristic.

However, there was a lesson to be learned from raising awareness of this rare condition because, initially, it had been assumed the brothers had mental health issues. There needs to be more understanding of the symptoms and research into a condition that in many cases is untreatable.

And you had to admire the fortitude of Christine and Tony as their world closed in on them.

Christine allowed herself a touch of bitterness where God was concerned: ‘We’re not believers any more.’ You could see where she was coming from.